The present invention relates to a neutro-therapy apparatus utilizing a charged particle accelerator and more specifically relates to an irradiation head for this apparatus.
Certain neutrotherapy apparatus use charged particle accelerators of the linear accelerator type able to supply an electron beam accelerated to a few dozen MeV, or cyclotron-type accelerators for accelerating deuterons to between 15 and 35 MeV or protons to between 25 and 50 MeV.
These particle accelerators are generally associated with an isocentric irradiation device incorporating a movable arm which is able to rotate by 360.degree. (or .+-.180.degree.) about a horizontal axis. On the free end of this movable arm is provided an irradiation head which more particularly incorporates a target which is bombarded by the accelerated particle beam and as a result of the impact of this beam emits a neutron beam. A collimator associated with the target makes it possible to define a useful beam of neutrons from the neutrons emitted by the target.
An important operation in any use of irradiation apparatus, particularly in the case of medical irradiation apparatus is the positioning of the area to be irradiated relative to the irradiation beam.
Among the known positioning control means for the area to be treated reference is made to sensing head systems associated with a printing device which moves simultaneously with the sensing head and plots the contour of the area to be irradiated.
It is also known to use the irradiation beam as the positioning control means in X-ray apparatus. This beam is momentarily low energy regulated for controlling the position of the area to be treated.